News Release _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Kevin Kerstein Publicity Manager Churchill Downs Racetrack (610) 420-6971 (mobile) (502) 635-4712 (office)
[email protected] CLASSIC EMPIRE, J BOYS ECHO TO BREEZE THIS WEEKEND AT CHURCHILL DOWNS FOR BELMONT STAKES LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Thursday, June 1, 2017) – Classic Empire , the Preakness Stakes (Grade I) runner-up, and Gotham Stakes (GIII) winner J Boys Echo will put in their final preparations for the June 10 Belmont Stakes (GI) this weekend at Churchill Downs. Classic Empire, owned by John Oxley and trained by Mark Casse , is scheduled to breeze sometime within the next three days, according to assistant trainer Norm Casse . The 3-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile was a troubled fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby (GI) and would be one of only two horses to compete in all three jewels of the Triple Crown this year. Lookin At Lee , the Derby runner-up who was stabled at Churchill Downs prior to the Preakness, will attempt to rebound from his fourth-place finish in the Preakness in the Belmont Stakes. Stabled on the opposite side of the Churchill Downs backstretch in trainer Dale Romans ’ Barn 4, Albaugh Family Stables ’ J Boys Echo is scheduled to breeze Saturday at 8:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) and ship to New York on Tuesday, according to Romans. J Boys Echo, the 15 th -place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, tackled two of New York’s Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races – finishing third in the Feb. 4 Withers (GIII) and winning the March 4 Gotham (GIII).